The Adventures of Pi Lin and Wang Peng
by DragonTalez
Summary: A history project gone fanfiction. Meet Pi Lin a soldier scared of anything mildly threatening, and Wang Peng an aspiring baker who holds an unconditional love for pies. What happens when these childhood friends journey together on the Silk Road in a caravan from the city of Chang'an to Antioch. Will they be successful? Will love blossom? Based Off Mandarin Texbook. REWRITE POSTED!
1. Chapter 1

Chang'an, April 5, 200, Dawn

Lavender-pink clouds contrasted the dark violet sky as they reflected the sun's not yet visible glow. Wind buffeted the crisp, spring air at the exposed areas of my face that my scarf failed to protect. Luckily, my armor kept me pretty warm, but it was still heavy to carry around. I looked away from the sky and turned towards the carts and camels. I watched the others in my caravan load the carts with food, blankets, water, silk, paper, and other goods. I watched hungrily as the merchant loaded a pallet of oranges onto the cart. We wouldn't be allowed to eat anything we needed to trade, but if I was careful, I might be able to make some oranges…disappear unnoticed. The merchant saw me eying his cargo and glared daggers as me. I immediately looked away and felt shivers down my spine. I guess I don't need any oranges. I pulled out my map to see which cities we would be traveling to. Dunhuang. Taklimaka Desert. Marakanda. Antioch. All places I have only heard of from other, braver soldiers who had ventured out beyond the protected borders. What did they see out there? What would _I_ see out there? I hoped there would be an absence of bandits, mosquitoes, spiders, snakes, and, well, anything scary. I have always jumped at the mention of anything threatening, but my father was a soldier, so my fate had been sealed long before I could decide what to fear. In only a few months, we were expected to travel roughly 1000 miles while dragging along cargo and camels! I took a worried glance at my water skin. Would we have enough water? Enough food? Enough-

"Hey!"

I flinched at the sudden sound and searched for the source of the voice. As I was turning my head, a slap on the shoulder startled me.

"You ready, Pi Lin?" he questioned. I gave him a weak grin. He slung his arm around my shoulder and smiled, "Aww, Come on. Don't look so down, this is going to be great! Traveling, sight-seeing, and food…eating! I can't wait to see all the pies. I am going to learn all these new recipes and be," he mimed a large arch with his hands, "China's Best Baker!"

I laughed at his antics. Wang Peng (Wung-Pung) always seemed to know the perfect way to cheer me up. My worries from before were gone. "Yeah. You really do love your pies, but what about the people in Dunhuang and Marakanda? Do you think they will like them?" I teased.

"Absolutely!" he promised as he pointed a finger at me. "Everyone loves my pies. Always. Even you." He bragged. I laughed again and agreed with him. He really knew his stuff when it came to pies.

We talked for a while after that, but we had to leave soon. Our conversation was cut off when the caravan leader announced our departure. I turned to look at the city, my hometown, and turned back around. I would see it again in a year, that is, if I was lucky, and I was never lucky.

Dunhuang, June 1, 200, Evening

The golden embers drifted up towards the dark sky dotted with a vast multitude of stars. I could feel the warmth of the fire contrast the cold night air as it drifted from the north onto my skin. I rubbed my hands together and held them in front of the flames. Even though we were all gathered in front of the fire with a rather close proximity to each other, a cold wind occasionally found its way to our shivering selves. I felt Wang Peng shift next to me as the wind nipped our faces and made our eyes water. I looked over to the elders who were telling stories while the children were gathered around them with eyes filled with curiosity and excitement. As I watched the embers glow and the flames dance, I craned my neck to hear the elders' tales.

"And then the great warrior prince defeated all of his enemies, and they all lived happily ever after." The old man smiled. Now that he was finished, he could sit down and enjoy some long-awaited rest.

"Mister?"

A tug on his sleeve directed is attention to a little boy who looked up at him with big, pleading eyes. "Yes, child, what troubles you?" he inquired trying his hardest not to sound slightly annoyed. The boy pointed to his right at the opal-colored carved statues with fear in his eyes.

"What are those scary blue dolls?"

"Oh," the old man laughed, "there's nothing to be afraid of. That is a statue of the great Buddha. Now let me tell you a story…"

That's right. I remember hearing many stories about Buddha and other philosophers from the other soldiers. The tales about the gods and founders always sounded amazing and magical, but distant. I had never met anyone with any direct experience with anything like Confucianism, Buddhism, or Hinduism; only priests who stayed in the temples and carried out their own sacred rituals. If Hinduism and Buddhism both came from India, what else did China have from India? What did India have that was Chinese? I guess all the philosophies traveled along with the spices and silk, except they came from the people, not from the silkworms or herb gardens. What would life be like without the Silk Road? People would not have had such a rapid means of exchanging ideas and goods. That is, if it made it through the Gobi Desert.

I have heard many fearful stories of the Gobi Desert, and the terrors it holds. Instead of milestones, there are the skeletal remains of unsuccessful caravans to guide the way! I shivered. What if we…ended up like- A punch to my shoulder shook me out of my dreadful thoughts.

"Ow! What was that for?!" I yelped, offended.

"That," Wang Peng started, "was for being a worry-wort." I blanched. "Oh, come on! I know that look." He made a face and cried in a high-pitched voice, "That's the oh-no-we-we-are-doomed look." He accused. I just looked at him while trying not to laugh. I had to keep some dignity. I couldn't let him know he made me laugh. That would be too much of an ego boost for his own good. "You need to stop worrying, and start enjoying yourself. You may never see a desert again! So calm down." He commanded. Maybe Wang Peng was right. Maybe we would be fine. But I just couldn't shake this feeling of danger.


	2. Chapter 2

The golden embers drifted up towards the dark sky dotted with a vast multitude of stars. I could feel the warmth of the fire contrast the cold night air as it drifted from the north onto my skin. I rubbed my hands together and held them in front of the flames. Even though we were all gathered in front of the fire with a rather close proximity to each other, a cold wind occasionally found its way to our shivering selves. I felt Wang Peng shift next to me as the wind nipped our faces and made our eyes water. I looked over to the elders who were telling stories while the children were gathered around them with eyes filled with curiosity and excitement. As I watched the embers glow and the flames dance, I craned my neck to hear the elders' tales.

"And then the great warrior prince defeated all of his enemies, and they all lived happily ever after." The old man smiled. Now that he was finished, he could sit down and enjoy some long-awaited rest.

"Mister?"

A tug on his sleeve directed is attention to a little boy who looked up at him with big, pleading eyes. "Yes, child, what troubles you?" he inquired trying his hardest not to sound slightly annoyed. The boy pointed to his right at the opal-colored carved statues with fear in his eyes.

"What are those scary blue dolls?"

"Oh," the old man laughed, "there's nothing to be afraid of. That is a statue of the great Buddha. Now let me tell you a story…"

That's right. I remember hearing many stories about Buddha and other philosophers from the other soldiers. The tales about the gods and founders always sounded amazing and magical, but distant. I had never met anyone with any direct experience with anything like Confucianism, Buddhism, or Hinduism; only priests who stayed in the temples and carried out their own sacred rituals. If Hinduism and Buddhism both came from India, what else did China have from India? What did India have that was Chinese? I guess all the philosophies traveled along with the spices and silk, except they came from the people, not from the silkworms or herb gardens. What would life be like without the Silk Road? People would not have had such a rapid means of exchanging ideas and goods. That is, if it made it through the Gobi Desert.

I have heard many fearful stories of the Gobi Desert, and the terrors it holds. Instead of milestones, there are the skeletal remains of unsuccessful caravans to guide the way! I shivered. What if we…ended up like- A punch to my shoulder shook me out of my dreadful thoughts.

"Ow! What was that for?!" I yelped, offended.

"That," Wang Peng started, "was for being a worry-wort." I blanched. "Oh, come on! I know that look." He made a face and cried in a high-pitched voice, "That's the oh-no-we-we-are-doomed look." He accused. I just looked at him while trying not to laugh. I had to keep some dignity. I couldn't let him know he made me laugh. That would be too much of an ego boost for his own good. "You need to stop worrying, and start enjoying yourself. You may never see a desert again! So calm down." He commanded. Maybe Wang Peng was right. Maybe we would be fine. But I just couldn't shake this feeling of danger.


	3. Chapter 3

The noon sun burned brightly as its sweltering heat radiated down towards the dry terrain. The wind whipped up small swirls of sand and then cast it outwards, spilling over the broken, scorched dirt. I could feel the camel shift its wait from foot to foot as it ascended the small hill, and I took a quick, much needed drink out of my water skin. Everything was so dry. And hot. Really hot. I would not be surprised if I dried up from sweating excessively and losing all of my water. How long have we been in this unforgiving land? How long has it been since I last saw home. I turned around to look at Wang Peng. His camel looked just as tired as himself. He saw me and made a face. I laughed. Wang Peng fell forward and pretended to faint on top of his camel. How could he still be so silly and casual when we were in the midst of the most dangerous part of the Silk Road? It was common knowledge that bandits were eager to pillage caravans that were tired from countless days of desert travel.

All humor ceased as we reached the bottom of the small hill we had been riding over. I stopped the camel. Wang Peng stopped. Some children poked their heads out from the tarp over the carts. The whole caravan stopped and looked. On my right, in the middle of the sand, lied a half-buried dismembered skeleton of a donkey. Vertebra lied sprawled out next to broken hooves. Scattered around its sandy, dirt base were rotting pieces of wood covered in flies.

This land was cruel. Clearly, this was not the only failed caravan trip. Probably bandits. They didn't stand a chance. The bandits had stolen everything but the remains of a broken cart. This desert was harsh. Cruel. Dry. Hot. I wanted to be out of the desert already! I was sure we all felt this way. Everyone looked to the caravan leader. He met my eyes, looked forward, and dug his heels into his camel. We were off again.


	4. Chapter 4

Blue Sky. Cool Air. Bustling marketplace. Best of all? No sand. Children ran across the busy street, weaving around the adults who were haggling the shop owners, or gathering ingredients for the next week's meals. There was a vast multitude of kiosks and food carts. There were even a few other traders who were a few days ahead of us on the Silk Road. We had seen them a few times in the distance on the road or in the cities. I saw a mother trying to hold onto several of her children as she tried to buy something without them running off. I also saw some women laughing as they were trying on expensive jewelry, asking for the price, and leaving. If I listened carefully enough I could hear music. Somewhere instruments were playing an upbeat tune. I had never seen a busier, more abundant place than this! The sheer amount of shops was enough to keep anyone busy for a lifetime. I looked over to the caravan leader who was in a deep conversation with the merchants. They picked through the cargo and scribbled furiously in their books. The magnificence on the stores stole my attention once again. Judging purely by the amount of food, these people were truly living a prosperous life. But all the splendors paled in comparison to the wall. It was huge. There were so many lamp vendors because at certain times of the day, the giant walls left shadows over almost three blocks of the outer city near wall. Wang Peng threw his elbow over my shoulder and looked at me.

"Isn't this great? There is _so_ much stuff to see and do here. I could spend a week here and still have something new to do!" he turned towards me and smiled. "Totally different from back home, right?" I just nodded and kept walking with his arm on my shoulder slowing me down.

He continued to babble on about the exciting new city when he suddenly stopped and looked to his left. I whipped my head back and forth to search for the object of apparent interest. My gaze finally settled on a humble looking bakery in a back alley. How did he even find that? It's barely noticeable from this angle, and you can't smell baked goods from this distance. I guess he just a knack for finding all things "baking." Wang Peng suddenly grabbed my shoulder, and dragged me to the bakery with him.

Luckily, we didn't end up wasting too much time at the bakery. Wang Peng really just listed all the ingredients that would be in each pie, and I just leaned my back against the wall and tried my best to tune him out while "looking interested." About a _millennium_ later, we left the bakery to browse through other shops just off the main road. Everything was so elaborate and lively. All the shops had colorful signs listing items and their prices.

The setting sun burned across the sky casting a long shadow over the city blocks near the wall. We made our way back to the inn and joined the rest of the caravan. When got back to my room, I sat on my cot and dragged my pack towards me. I dug my map out of it and traced my finger from Marakanda to Antioch. Oh. That was more than 1500 miles, and it was an even greater time by caravan. We would have to trek through Parthia and across the Tigris River. Don't worry. Remember what Wang Peng would say. We can do it. After all, we made it this far. Why shouldn't we be able to finish this journey?


	5. Chapter 5

Blue Sky. Cool Air. Bustling marketplace. Best of all? No sand. Children ran across the busy street, weaving around the adults who were haggling the shop owners, or gathering ingredients for the next week's meals. There was a vast multitude of kiosks and food carts. There were even a few other traders who were a few days ahead of us on the Silk Road. We had seen them a few times in the distance on the road or in the cities. I saw a mother trying to hold onto several of her children as she tried to buy something without them running off. I also saw some women laughing as they were trying on expensive jewelry, asking for the price, and leaving. If I listened carefully enough I could hear music. Somewhere instruments were playing an upbeat tune. I had never seen a busier, more abundant place than this! The sheer amount of shops was enough to keep anyone busy for a lifetime. I looked over to the caravan leader who was in a deep conversation with the merchants. They picked through the cargo and scribbled furiously in their books. The magnificence on the stores stole my attention once again. Judging purely by the amount of food, these people were truly living a prosperous life. But all the splendors paled in comparison to the wall. It was huge. There were so many lamp vendors because at certain times of the day, the giant walls left shadows over almost three blocks of the outer city near wall. Wang Peng threw his elbow over my shoulder and looked at me.

"Isn't this great? There is _so_ much stuff to see and do here. I could spend a week here and still have something new to do!" he turned towards me and smiled. "Totally different from back home, right?" I just nodded and kept walking with his arm on my shoulder slowing me down.

He continued to babble on about the exciting new city when he suddenly stopped and looked to his left. I whipped my head back and forth to search for the object of apparent interest. My gaze finally settled on a humble looking bakery in a back alley. How did he even find that? It's barely noticeable from this angle, and you can't smell baked goods from this distance. I guess he just a knack for finding all things "baking." Wang Peng suddenly grabbed my shoulder, and dragged me to the bakery with him.

Luckily, we didn't end up wasting too much time at the bakery. Wang Peng really just listed all the ingredients that would be in each pie, and I just leaned my back against the wall and tried my best to tune him out while "looking interested." About a _millennium_ later, we left the bakery to browse through other shops just off the main road. Everything was so elaborate and lively. All the shops had colorful signs listing items and their prices.

The setting sun burned across the sky casting a long shadow over the city blocks near the wall. We made our way back to the inn and joined the rest of the caravan. When got back to my room, I sat on my cot and dragged my pack towards me. I dug my map out of it and traced my finger from Marakanda to Antioch. Oh. That was more than 1500 miles, and it was an even greater time by caravan. We would have to trek through Parthia and across the Tigris River. Don't worry. Remember what Wang Peng would say. We can do it. After all, we made it this far. Why shouldn't we be able to finish this journey?


End file.
